Pestilent Haze MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Released	2020-07-03
Set symbol
Set name	Core Set 2021
Set code	M21
Number	118
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Sidharth Chaturvedi

Key Takeaways

Provides card advantage by removing multiple threats in decks filled with low-toughness creatures, altering card economy.
By clearing small creatures, it indirectly accelerates your resources, giving tempo advantage for late-game strategies.
Operates at sorcery speed, rewarding strategic timing and foresight in gameplay for maximum board impact.

Text of card

Choose one — • All creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn. • Remove two loyalty counters from each planeswalker.

"Your crops will rot. The air itself will turn against you. You will suffer as I have suffered." —Karaz, outcast

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Pestilent Haze provides a form of card advantage against decks that rely heavily on smaller creatures. By potentially removing multiple threats with a single spell, you efficiently deal with several of your opponent’s cards, skewing the card economy in your favor, especially in matchups where the board is crowded with low-toughness creatures.

Resource Acceleration: While Pestilent Haze itself doesn’t directly offer resource acceleration, its ability to clear the board of smaller creatures can indirectly accelerate your resources. By resetting the board state, it allows you to play your more impactful threats with less opposition, effectively giving you a tempo advantage and paving the way for your late-game plays without the usual hindrances.

Instant Speed: Pestilent Haze operates at sorcery speed, which requires strategic planning regarding when to deploy it for maximum effect. This fosters a gameplay environment that rewards foresight and timing, ensuring that you make the most of this potent board wipe when the conditions align for an optimal play.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Pestilent Haze obliges you to manage your hand carefully due to a potential need for card conservation, making it less favorable when you’re already at a card disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Its strict color commitment of two black mana can be restrictive, particularly in multicolored decks that may struggle with color consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of three, including two black, some players might find it costly considering other sweepers or removal options in the same range that may offer more immediate board impact.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Pestilent Haze offers a unique dual purpose as it can either be used to wipe out smaller creatures or debilitate bigger ones. It fits well in decks that are designed to control the board and keep opponents in check.

Combo Potential: With a card like Pestilent Haze, you have significant combo potential in decks that capitalize on death triggers or require a method to mass clear the board for an advantageous state, setting up for more strategic plays.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-changing MTG meta, Pestilent Haze can be extremely useful in environments heavy with aggressive creature-based decks. It allows you to effectively manage the board and maintain a stronghold in the game.

How to beat

Pestilent Haze presents a unique challenge for MTG players, aptly serving as a formidable sweeper for early game creatures. What sets it apart is its ability to target and wipe out those creatures with toughness three or less. But don’t let this spell deter you; there are strategies you can adopt to overcome its impact.

One effective approach is to focus on creatures with toughness greater than three. Creatures with robust stats remain unaffected by Pestilent Haze, allowing them to stay on the battlefield. Additionally, employing instant-speed spells designed to boost toughness temporarily can save your key creatures from being decimated. Alternatively, using counterspells effectively can negate Pestilent Haze before it ever resolves, preserving your board presence and game plan.

Understanding the timing and knowing when to hold back creatures in your hand rather than overcommitting to the board can also prove crucial. Being mindful of Pestilent Haze and similar board-clear effects in your opponent’s deck can inform your play, enabling you to bait out the sweeper and then rebuild rapidly, turning the tables in your favor.

Cards like Pestilent Haze

Pestilent Haze has carved its niche among board-clearing options in Magic: The Gathering. It shares a common goal with cards like Infest and Cry of the Carnarium – that of reducing the power of creatures across the board. Pestilent Haze offers versatility, allowing you to choose between wiping out smaller creatures or debilitating planeswalkers with its -2/-2 effect or its ability to remove two loyalty counters, respectively.

Infest, while similar in effect, does not offer the planeswalker targeting alternative, firmly placing it in the creature sweep category. Cry of the Carnarium edges closer with its exile effect on the creatures it kills, preventing graveyard interactions – a feature Pestilent Haze lacks. Cry of the Carnarium’s static -2/-2 effect can sometimes be a double-edged sword, as surviving creatures are left unaffected post-resolution.

By assessing these spells, it’s evident that Pestilent Haze’s choice between disrupting creature boards or diminishing planeswalker influence offers a strategic advantage, though it may lack some of the more specialized features of its counterparts. Its flexibility is what makes Pestilent Haze a valuable asset in many MTG decks that seek to control the board and maintain tempo.

Cry of the Carnarium - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Pestilent Haze by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pestilent Haze MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2021, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Pestilent Haze and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pestilent Haze has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Pestilent Haze card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2020-06-23	Pestilent Haze's first mode affects only creatures on the battlefield at the time it resolves. Creatures that enter the battlefield later in the turn won't get -2/-2.